Leading UK bookmaker William Hill has been forced to pay a former executive £68,065 ($91,476) in an employment tribunal.
The tribunal ruled in favor of Joe Tobin, who was head of search at the operator. Tobin had been dismissed without notice last year after allegations of sexual harassment led to an internal investigation.
Tobin was accused of touching a female colleague inappropriately, including placing her fingers in her mouth, when company employees were drinking in a pub.
he gave off a “weird vibe”
The tribunal was told that the woman had requested never to be left alone with Tobin, and that he gave off a “weird vibe.” The woman added that their professional relationship had also been strained and that they had had “a couple of disagreements.”
That led to Tobin’s removal from his role, with dismissal officer Gavin Hilton finding that Tobin had committed gross misconduct and breached company policy.
However, the tribunal said that the probe had been insufficient grounds to dismiss Tobin without notice, stating that it had relied on brief witness statements, that no CCTV footage had been requested from the bar where the incident took place, and police had also failed to find any evidence of an assault.
